The Dog Days of Christmas

Since Tony and I don’t have a houseful of human children, but rather a houseful of four-legged children, our Christmas traditions may be just a bit different than yours…..

We tried hanging stockings by the mantle, but the cats kept jumping up and grabbing at them.

We tried putting a train around the base of our tree, but again, the cats and dog wanted to chase it.

We even tried letting our children open their wrapped gifts from Santa Paws, but we were afraid that Oliver would eat the ribbon.

Alright, perhaps I exaggerate a little, but the holidays without having children does make you reexamine your traditions and rituals.  And sometimes, out of creativity (or desperation) you even create new traditions.

Take, for example, the Advent calendar.  You know what that is: as each day gets closer to Christmas Day, a little door is opened, or a drawer is pulled, or a pocket is inspected, each with a small gift or a piece of candy, or some other treat to make the countdown to Christmas both more concrete and more exciting.  Usually, children are allowed to do the opening. (The grown-ups already know how many days are left before Christmas, and they also know they are way, way behind in their shopping/cooking/knitting….or is that just me?)

So here is our family version of the Advent Calendar.   Look closely.  I’ve lovingly tied 25 dog biscuits to a $5 wreath I got at a craft store, and added a craft-foam dog head to the bottom.  Cute, huh? 

So now, each day as we get closer to Christmas, we can take a cookie off the wreath and say, “Abby! Santa Paws will be here in just a few days!  Better be a Good Girl!  No chasing kitties!” 

She doesn’t understand what I’m saying.  The attention alone is enough to make her eyes sparkle, but with a cookie added into the bargain, she’s a twitching, focused, eager puppy.  And it brings holiday joy to our quiet home.

Now, if I could just keep the cats from looking in the closets for where I’ve hidden their kitty presents….